Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk made his return on Monday after missing three games due to a toe sprain, and he made an immediate impact, scoring 21 points in the game, reports The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson.
Unfortunately for the Kings, Monk’s effort wasn’t enough to secure a victory, as the team suffered a disheartening 29-point loss at home to the New York Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back.
With the defeat, the Kings now find themselves two games behind the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, adding more pressure to their playoff aspirations.
In a separate article, Anderson details the reactions from the team following the disappointing performance.
Center Jonas Valanciunas didn’t hold back in his assessment, calling the loss “embarrassing.”
Interim head coach Doug Christie echoed similar frustration, emphasizing the need for accountability.
“There are absolutely no excuses in this league,” Christie remarked. “The league does not care about back-to-backs, injuries, nothing. That was brutal from the physicality standpoint.
“They didn’t feel us at all, and our guys know that is totally unacceptable, whoever is out on the floor.”
Pacific Notes: Durant, Booker, Kings, Lakers, D. Green https://t.co/Uu4W25igZd pic.twitter.com/6i24jzoVMb
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